Bottle warmer and mixing apparatus

Abstract

A bottle warmer and mixing apparatus comprises a mixing unit ( 50 ) arranged to agitate a bottle ( 3 ) to mix contents therein. A heating unit is arranged to heat the contents of the bottle. The heating unit is at least partially decoupled from the agitation generated by the mixing unit ( 50 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus comprising:
 a mixing unit adapted to controllably agitate a bottle in two dimensions to mix contents of the bottle; and 
 a heating unit arranged for heating the contents of the bottle, said heating unit comprising a heating element and a reservoir for receiving the bottle and a fluid for thermally coupling the heating element to said contents of the bottle, said heating element being at least partially decoupled from the agitation generated by the mixing unit by a flexible element separating the reservoir from the mixing unit. 
 
     
     
       2. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reservoir comprises a reservoir base and reservoir walls upstanding from the reservoir base, said flexible element separating the reservoir base from the mixing unit. 
     
     
       3. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mixing unit comprises a linear induction motor. 
     
     
       4. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mixing unit comprises a first plate provided with a plurality of magnets and a second plate provided with a plurality of coils, wherein applying current through the coils in a pre-defined sequence generates relative movement between the first and the second plates. 
     
     
       5. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mixing unit is programmable to provide a selected one of a plurality of different types of agitation to the bottle. 
     
     
       6. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the heating unit comprises an induction heater. 
     
     
       7. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the induction heater comprises an inductively heated conductor forming part of the bottle. 
     
     
       8. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the induction heater comprises:
 a reservoir for receiving a fluid and for receiving the bottle; and 
 at least one inductively heated conductor disposed in the reservoir. 
 
     
     
       9. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the heating element is attached to a stationary one of the first and second plates of the mixing unit. 
     
     
       10. A bottle warming and mixing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a mount for releasably holding the bottle is coupled to the mixing unit.